Carry Me Home
by RainyEnglishMorning
Summary: When the most infamous murders in London are being recreated, old relationships are tested and new ones are formed. She didn't expect her boyfriend to become her boss. He didn't expect a case of this magnitude as his first as Detective Inspector. Will the Ripper get the best of them? Joseph Chandler x Original Character (Will Carter) Rated M due to future language and gore.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, I've resurfaced after god knows how long. I've been absolutely obsessed with Whitechapel recently and had this idea milling around in my head for ages. I adore the little crush that Emerson Kent seems to have on Joseph but he's had such bad luck with the ladies that I just had to give him one that he's already happy with. That's not to say that issues won't arise of course ;)**

 **I know that at the beginning of the first episode Joseph goes to one of those Men Only things that are always in these kind of shows, but I tweaked it just a little bit.**

 **Also, I welcome any criticisms, and especially tell me how to improve on any representation for things I include in the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Whitechapel or any characters that are recognisable, only Wilhelmina Carter.**

Chapter 1

The evening was in full swing when they arrived. A tall, blond man and a petite redhead clinging to his arm, both with wide smiles on their faces. Dressed to the nines, they made their way to where a group of older gentlemen were waiting.

"Here's Jo. And you must be Wilhelmina. Joseph's told me a lot about you, so I feel as though I know you already", remarked a man with a smile.

The redhead's smile dimmed slightly. "Please, call me Mina. I can't stand my full name. Honestly, I don't know what state my mother was in when she picked it." Her hand moved to offer a handshake, "And I've heard an awful lot about you as well, Commander Anderson. It's an honour to finally be meeting you. Those of us lower down the chain of command tend not to."

Anderson responded with a smirk.

"Commander, how are you?" Asked Joseph, extending a hand in greeting.

"Very well."

Joseph lent down to murmur in his partner's ear, "Mina?"

"I feel like he'd be more comfortable with that instead of Will." She shrugged.

* * *

Across town, sirens blare in the heart of Whitechapel. PCSOs and firemen working in tandem to calm both the mob that had built up in the area and the fire that ravaged a nearby building.

* * *

"And that's why men like Jo are the future of British policing"

"Well no pressure there then!"

Laughter rang out.

* * *

Glass shattered as members of the public threw bottles overhead of the officers. The fire hoses gushed water. The voices of the mob almost a mess different insults and shouting.

"What you gonna do about it? What ya gonna do?"

Another siren rang out.

"Okay, back." Came the calm voice of a PCSO. A man rushed forward, "Do not come any…Closer!" He's pushed back by 4 officers. There is clear annoyance on the PCSO's face. Clearly not how she wanted to spend her morning.

"Listen, you've been told once! I do not want to tell you again." Her voice is raised in an effort to make the civilians understand.

* * *

"We need bold initiatives in partnership with the communities to ensure good practice within a solid management framework." Explained Jo, "Ultimately, this is about the effect delivery of sanctions to the stakeholders."

Anderson looked over with mild confusion, "The stakeholders?"

"Five years ago, we simply called them criminals", Will smiled around her wine glass, to the amusement of the others in her company.

"Do excuse me", murmured Joseph, standing and placed a kiss to Will's cheek before hurrying off in the direction of the toilets, leaving Will sat amongst the others.

She began to wonder about her part in this. These kinds of parties never were her thing, but as Jo's partner she tagged along if it meant it would help him. Commander Anderson was Joseph's Godfather, and thus he was fast tracked through the chain of command. His hope was to one day make Chief of Police, like his father was before his death. Will, herself was just a Detective Constable at the Whitechapel police station. She often found it strange how she and Jo worked. They both had very similar career goals, but were moving towards them at very different speeds. What would her team think? She knew their opinions on 'Plastic Policemen'. What would they say if they found out she was dating one?

* * *

The flames had finally been stopped and the crowd dispersed. A chance for everyone to still have a good night's sleep.

"Night, see ya tomorrow."

"Night, Mary."

She left in the opposite direction to her colleagues, turning down a nearby alleyway, not noticing the figure of a man, just a little further down. A figure that began to follow her.

Passing under the Overground tracks near the old board school, a faint choking caused Mary to stop in her tracks. Peering through the gates, a woman is seen lying on the ground. The choking becomes louder.

Slowly approaching the woman, it became clear she was severely wounded. A pool of blood at Mary's feet.

"Oh, my god," She uttered, kneeling down beside the woman. "I've got you, love." Mary quickly grasped the woman's hand, "You're gonna be alright."

Whether Mary truly believed that was a mystery. The woman had a deep slash across her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. And having lost a lot of blood already, the chances looked slim.

Mary grasped her radio, "PCSO Bousfield to Control. Receiving, over."

The "Mum" ring on the woman's hand glinted in the lamplight. The gurgle of her throat was getting less frequent.

"Receiving you, Mary. Go ahead." Came a woman's voice on the radio.

"Immediate assistance and an ambulance required at the old board school off Commercial Street." She cut the radio off. The woman continued to choke. "There you go, love."

A sudden bang had Mary looking up. The door of the building had swung open and shut in one go. She turned her head to the gate where she had entered. There stood a man. In dark clothing, grasping a long, thin knife.

"Christ have mercy" She uttered. Sirens blared and the man turned and left.

* * *

A mobile rang. Will fished it from her bag before quickly excusing herself. "DC Will Carter."

"Will? We've got a situation. Need you down here as soon as possible." The Sarge. Of course something would come up tonight. Not that Will particularly minded. "Board school off Commercial Street. How quick do you think you can get here?"

She glanced at the clock on wall, "At most half an hour. I am a party of sorts right now, so don't make fun of me when I get there, ya hear?" She joked.

"Ooooh, a party!" Sang Miles. "Well you've got another one waiting down here. Probably way more interesting anyway."

Will hummed in agreement, before hanging up. The quick beep of her phone indicated the address had been texted. Turning back, she could see Jo was still missing, meaning she would be able to say goodbye properly. He'd understand. He knew the kind of job she had.

Her heels clattered against the floor as she approached the Commander. Leaning down, she murmured, "There's been an incident and I'm needed. Could you tell Jo I said goodbye for me?"

With a mutter of agreement and nod to the others sat there, Will left.

' _The life of a police officer.'_ She thought to herself. _'I could probably be getting married and have to leave my own wedding early.'_ Not that she hated her job. Loved it, in fact. People didn't choose to die by a mugging gone wrong or gang warfare. She was just glad she could help bring their killers to justice.

* * *

Police tape was cordoning off the area when two officers stepped out of a car. A third was standing by, several cups in his grasp.

"Fitz, coffee, no sugar." He handed one cup over. "Two tea bags, Skip," Another to a gruff looking man.

"Thanks."

"Usual, McCormack." The last offered to a larger man.

"Can't people die at a decent time of day?" McCormack asked, accepting the cup.

A fifth, younger man arrived on a bike, "Got your own crappuccino there, Kent?" The question was ignored as Kent took off his helmet and took a swig from his coffee. The clicking of heels on the cobbles caused them all to turn.

Will could see them all about to react to the fact she was in a fancy gown and tall heels and held up her hand, "Ah! Not a word! Yes, I'm in a dress. Yes, I'm more awake than the lot of you." She smirked, "And yes, I can't help it if I have a better social life that the rest of you."

They all smiled, before Skip, otherwise known as DS Ray Miles, muttered, "Right, what we got?" And led the way through the gate.

"Let's get suited and booted boys." Fitz shot a look at Will, "And _lady._ " She rolled her eyes and followed.

* * *

Anderson strutted into the toilets, causing Joseph to look up.

"Mina had to rush off. Got a call from her Sergeant. Asked me to say good bye for her." Joseph smiled in thanks.

"There were impressed with you in there." He called, walking over to a urinal. "Good money's on you making commander in 3 years."

"That's very generous." Uttered Joseph.

"It's all part of the plan, Jo." He tilted his head slightly as he spoke.

Joseph turned his face, "Yes, sir." He smiled slightly and moved towards the sinks.

"No need to be so formal." Anderson smirked, "This is what your father wanted. He'd be proud."

The sound of the taps filled the room as Joseph ran his hand under the water, before lathering them with soap. Anderson soon joined him, and began speaking again as Jo remained bent over the sink.

His face was grimmer now, "We have a dead woman in Whitechapel. Probable domestic. No DI. Bit of a rough squad. It's the one that Mina works on I believe. Don't worry, you won't be breaking any rules."

"I'll take it!" He responded eagerly, a grin forming on his face.

"Ready to head up your first murder?" Anderson was clearly pleased to see his enthusiasm.

"Absolutely." He'd have his first go a proper police work and get to work with his girlfriend. In fact, having her there would probably help. She'd mentioned before what her team was like. Good men, but a bit old school at times. She'd probably help keep them in line.

"Good lad," Anderson turned off the tap he was using. "And once you've ticked that box, we can move you on. Get you out of the trenches and up to headquarters where you belong."

Joseph was almost giddy, "I don't know what to say." His grin obvious now.

"How about 'Thank you'," He tapped Joseph's shoulder as he passed him.

Joseph grabbed a towel. "Thank you, sir!" He stood for a moment drying his hands, as Anderson walked out, before throwing down on the counter. "Excellent."

* * *

Will was standing with Fitz, helping to canvas the area when Miles, walked over and clapped a hand on the man's shoulder. Indistinct chatter could be heard over the radio.

"Commander Anderson is sending us a new DI." He muttered. Fitz snorted

"Oh…Good, cause we don't know what we're doing." The remark make Will smirk.

Miles' tone became less pleasant, "Another fast tracker," he sneered. The comment made Will jolt slightly.

' _Fast tracker? Could it..? No, Anderson wouldn't send Jo to work on my team, surely.'_

Fitz and Miles didn't see her jump, "Oh, if I'd have known, I'd have made vol-au-vents." This prompted Will to hit him lightly in the stomach. He just grinned at her.

"I'll go tell the others." And with that Miles was off.

A few moments later, Will was standing with Miles at the gate, a black car pulled up. It was a car Will knew well.

' _Oh shit,'_ she thought, _'The bastard actually did it.'_

Fitz wandered over, clipboard still in hand, to see who the new DI was.

Sure enough, the door opened and out came her boyfriend, still dressed in the suit and bowtie from the party. He must have come straight from there. Miles and Fitz didn't look impressed and Will attempted to school her expression to look similar. She hoped she didn't look like a deer in the headlights.

"Now that's a good look." Fitz murmured to Will. She hummed in agreement, a tiny smile gracing her lips.

Joseph walked straight to Miles and held out a hand to shake "DI Chandler." He looked every bit the boss. No boyish smiles from earlier in the night anywhere to be seen.

"DS Miles," replied Miles. Cameras flashed around them, the work of the SOCOs taking pictures of the scene. "We'll get you suited up. This way." He pointed to the right of Will.

Joseph head turned to acknowledge the two other officers there. Meeting Will's eyes, he gave a small smile, one she instinctively returned, before walking passed them. Fitz whistled and motioned with his hand to Miles, causing Will to hit him again.

' _This is gonna be the longest case of my fucking life.'_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Now clad in disposable overalls, something Joseph was sure he would appreciate, Miles leaned over to grab so gloves for both of them.

"The victim's name was Cathy Lane. 43 years old," A pair was offered to Jo as he zipped up his jumpsuit, "Mother of three. Separated from her partner." The crinkling of paper accompanied the explanation, "She was found around 2am by a community support officer. Cathy was still alive then, but by the time emergency services got to her," He glanced up at Jo, "she was dead."

"Who identified her?" Joseph queried as his pull on a second glove.

"We all did. Let's go." Miles shut the boot of the car. It was a confusing statement. But one that Joseph was sure he'd get an answer to.

They made their way to the tent that hid the body as Miles asked, almost scathingly, "You worked a murder scene before?"

Joseph adjusted his gloves and the mask around his ears, "I'm not a virgin, you know. I've had my fair share." They knew he was a fast tracker. And they clearly didn't like it. It was as he expected from what he'd heard from Will.

"Oh well, you'll be laughing then."

Other members of the team, Will, now holding a clipboard, and the man he saw earlier, and 2 other men stood nearby as they lifted the hoods on their overalls and entered the tent. "Streak of piss." Came the voice of one of the men, followed by a grunt. Joseph assumed Will had smacked him the board and a slight smile appeared under his mask.

* * *

Fitz rubbed his shoulder, "When are you gonna stop hitting me?" He grumbled.

"When you stop being a twat." She blew a strand of hair out of her face, wishing she'd had time to put into a ponytail, but the various clips in it meant she had to wait.

"You got your eye on the new DI? Is that it? Thought you had a boyfriend, Will." Joked Sanders, before going silent at the sharp look in her eye.

"No, you dickheads." She finished writing something on the board she held, "I'm annoyed 'cause you aren't giving him a chance. You acted the same when I first rocked up and I know you regret that now." Her tone was low, but they all heard her. Chancing a look up at them, she could see that they didn't take her words to heart.

It was Fitz that responded, "Yeah, yeah. But you're one of us now," He took the board back from Will, "He's a Plastic."

She just raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips in response. She had other things to worry about. Like whether Jo could handle being near a dead body.

* * *

"Hello Ray," Said a cheery voice as they entered the tent.

"We've gotta stop meeting like this." It was a joke, but the circumstances made it much more macabre.

The woman, Caroline Llewellyn, nodded, "Ah, yeah, but it wouldn't be the same without a dead body between us." She looked up, "Morning."

"DI Chandler." Responded Joseph, not quite used to….. _this._

Caroline wasted no time in explaining her initial findings, "Can you see the cuts to her throat?" She indicated with her finger and glanced up, "From the side here, we have the first incision," Jo turned his gaze away in revulsion, "And then, we have a second cut, more decisive, right round. This is a deep one. Seems to go all the way through to the vertebrae." She finished grimly.

Miles turned to Joseph, "You wanna get a look at this?"

"No, I'm good." He swallowed the lump in his throat. He could do this. Will was right outside and what kind of officer could he hope to be if one body made him sick?

Miles didn't question it. Instead, he stated, "There's not much blood."

Caroline hummed, "I know, it doesn't look like much does it? I know what you're thinking. 'She was dumped', but you'd be wrong." Jo continued to avert his gaze. "It's all here. It's soaked into her clothing. She's sodden."

The thought almost made Joseph gag. The mere thought of being soaked in blood enough to turn his stomach.

"It's interesting," remarked Caroline, "there's no struggle." She pointed to Cathy's cheek, "There's a bruise here and more on the other side, "She gestured for a photo to be taken, "with small petechial haemorrhages around the eyes, suggesting asphyxia." The cameras flashed. "I think she was strangled first, and this is how he dropped her." Joseph nodded his acknowledgement. "Just a snapshot based on obvious injuries."

Her and Miles stood and pulled off their hoods and masks. Placing her hands on her hips, she uttered the word, "Patience."

Seeing his chance, Joseph bolted from the tent, whilst Mile and Caroline looked on.

* * *

The rustling of the tent flap had Will turn her attention away from the floor beneath her. Joseph had emerged and exhaled deeply, before bending to lean on his knees. A train rattled overhead and Miles came out and motioned for her to come with him. She wasn't complaining. It'd give her a chance to see if Jo was okay.

Joseph ripped off his gloves and she approached them. "I want a detailed plan of the area."

"Fitzgerald and McCormack are doing that." He gestured to Will, "This is DC Will Carter. She's usually who shadows me with stuff like this."

Will smiled and Joseph stretched out a hand for her to shake. He'd known they didn't know the name of her boyfriend and figured that right now wasn't the best time to out their relationship. "DI Chandler, nice to meet you. Wish it was under better circumstances." A little joke, paired with a look that meant they'd talk later. They needed to focus on the case.

"Likewise." He turned to Miles, "Witnesses?"

Miles didn't even look at him as he spoke. "Mary Bousfield, community support officer. This way." And off he went.

Joseph glanced at Will, "You really weren't joking about how rough they are, were you?" He muttered to her. Her only response was a sly smile, before she unzipped her jumpsuit walked off. Jo followed suit.

Mary was sat in the back of an ambulance, the same place she'd had been since they'd arrived. The poor woman was understandably distraught, and Will couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Not many PCSOs saw this kind of stuff.

Kent was with her, asking what she'd seen when she'd found Cathy.

"I saw a man with a long knife." She wiped at her eyes with a tissue and sniffed, "He was over 40. Dark coat, about 5'10"." She glanced at Will and the 2 men when they came closer. "Posh, but shabby." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Had a funny hat."

"Funny? How?" Asked Joseph.

"Funny, unusual," Mary spoke, nodding slightly and sniffing, her face screwed up slightly, "had flaps."

"Did you see his face?"

Mary's head shook and her face scrunched up more as she began to cry, "I'm really sorry," she apologised wiping her nose, "I know police aren't supposed to cry." Will reached for her hand.

Straight faced, Miles began to reassure her, "I cry all the time, Mary. You should see my mascara run." It had the desired effect. Mary chuckled through her tears. "Thanks. Let 'em get her off to the hospital."

As they walked away, Will began to speak, "Cathy Lane was a battered woman." She began. "Split from her partner six years ago but they always argued about money for the kids. He didn't want to pay up while she was living with other men." They came to a stop and she and Miles turned to face Joseph.

Miles continued, "They'd have too much to drink, have huge rows. We were constantly banging him up in the cells for the night." He glanced at Will, "Once he stuck a potato peeler in her head. Bang," He hit his palm with a clenched fist, "like that."

Will remembered that day. The poor woman was bleeding everywhere, and she'd been tasked with making sure the kids were all okay. It wasn't a pretty sight and definitely not something you could forget. "We always knew we'd find her dead one day." Her face was sombre. She didn't like the thought but it was true.

"Who is this guy?" Joseph asked.

Crossing her arms, Will responded, "Rob Lees." Her voice was grim. "He's a butcher. Works with long, sharp knives."

Joseph's response shocked her, "Well, let's go talk to Rob Lees, then." DI's don't normally do field work. At least, the ones she'd met didn't like to.

It was Miles that verbalised that thought, "Don't you have a desk to go to?"

Joseph's voice was soft, "No, I don't. Let's go."

As they began to walk, Will called out, "Sarge! I need to go and change out of this dress and also pick up my car from the flat." She sent a sly look to Jo, "Boyfriend droves us to that party, ya see. I'll have to meet to you back at the station." She looked apologetic as she took off the boots and overalls she'd been given before she slid her heels back on her feet and grabbed her coat. With the clicking of her shoes accompanying her and she walked, she called back, "See ya later!"

Miles and Joseph watched as she walked away. This was clearly how she worked with her team, an easy camaraderie that had come from working hard. She hadn't slipped her coat back on despite the chill of the morning air.

 _'She never did care about the cold.'_ Joseph thought to himself, watching her skirt swish around her legs. _'One of the many unique things I love about her.'_

He broke from his reverie when she turned a corner and left his sight. "Right," He began, "Rob Lees."

* * *

The cab ride from Commercial Street was mercifully quick to the flat that Will and Jo shared. When he'd asked her to move in, it came as a shock initially. She knew that he like things thing to be ordered and organised, and she was almost the complete opposite, especially the days when her mental health got the better of her. When she questioned him, he'd merely responded by saying that it didn't bother him. Previously relationships had failed because he couldn't accommodate their messy living habits, but she'd subconsciously changed hers to fit his. _She_ was accommodating _him_. And it worked. She had her spaces where her things were 'organised messes'. They seemed haphazard and out of place, but were organised to her tastes. Jo had his spaces that were perfectly tidy, not a mote of dust out of place. On her bad days, Will would lose track of keeping things tidy, including herself, but Joseph knew she couldn't control it. Just like his urges, her bad days were unstoppable. He just helped coax of out of those bleak moments, like she'd coax him out of his.

Padding barefoot across the bedroom she reached the closet, grabbing work appropriate clothes. Black skirt, a trumpet sleeved Bardot top and some black heeled brogues. She'd coveted a pair of brogues, proper Oxford ones at that, but never dreamed she'd actually own a pair. Joseph had bought her a pair for her birthday the year before and they were the most looked after item of clothing she owned. She even had Jo teach her how to properly polish them.

After a quick shower, and rushing to get dressed, she was almost out the door. Her car keys lay in a dish near the door, along with a photo of her and Jo. It was one she'd taken with a cheap polaroid camera she'd gotten from a friend, also a birthday present. They'd been cuddled on the sofa and she'd been playing around with the camera, a few candids of Joseph that she kept in a box somewhere were taken before she'd sidled up to him and snapped a picture of them both.

 _"Come on, give us a smile you big grouch"_

Smiling at the memory, she grabbed her keys and was out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Life has been a bit hectic. Had Christmas to stress over along with worrying about vet bills for my dog that left us practically broke. But on with a new chapter!**

Chapter 3

Indistinct chatter filled Joseph's ears as he and Miles entered the butchers later that morning. A man was hacking at a large joint of meat as they approached the counter.

"There you are, governor, lovely."

"Cheers, See ya."

"Ta ta." Called the butcher as the two men reached him.

Jo held up his badge, "Police."

"Yeah?" He didn't look happy. Not something they could help.

"Can I please have a word, sir?" Queried Joseph, when Miles appeared from behind him.

"Hello, Jim."

Jim looked at Miles and nodded his head towards Joseph, "Got a new boy?"

"Oi, you'll get me in trouble. He's the new boss." To Jo, his tone sounded uncaring. ' _It's fine. Once this is over with, I won't have any more issues'_

Jim's tone in response was almost sarcastic as he turned his attention to Joseph, " _Oh,_ can I help you, sir?"

Shutting his eyes for a second, Joseph composed himself, "Rob Lees?"

"Rob's not here."

"You know where he is?" Jumped in Miles.

Jim shook his head. He sounded annoyed, "Nah. His mobile's switched off and he's not picking up at home." A quick look at both the men opposite had concern stretch across his face. "Has he been at Cathy again?"

Miles took a deep breath, "Yeah." In the back a man brought a cleaver down on a joint.

"Is she alright?" It was clear that Cathy's plight was known to more than just the police.

The gruff man shook his head sadly, "She's dead."

"Oh…" Jim looked down, whether in resignation or sadness Jo didn't know. But Mary's description was in the forefront of his mind.

"Has Rob got a woolly hat?" The question was asked while Miles pulled out his phone.

"Eh?"

"A woolly hat?"

"Nah, he wears one of those… Furry Russian things with flaps." It was obvious Jim didn't like the question. That was the least of his worries as Miles began to speak to someone on the phone.

"Yeah, get Rob Lees' flat watched. Can we find out where his phone is? Right now. And get someone down to his local." He paused and glanced at Joseph. "Yeah, he is I know. But what can you do?" He hung up.

Those last words were clearly about Jo and he wished vehemently that Will was here right now. Her presence helped to keep him sane.

"We'd better get a move on." That caused Joseph to crack slightly.

"Before we go anywhere, can we get something straight? I'm in charge if this investigation." Despite being the taller of the two it was obvious that Miles wasn't intimidated at all.

"Just showing you the ropes, son." He sent a quick look to Jim, before walking off, leaving Joseph almost seething. He sent a quick smile at Jim before following Miles out of the room.

* * *

Cameras flashed as photos were taken on Cathy's body, which now lay in the pathology mortuary of the Whitechapel police station. Caroline delicately cut the bag that Cathy had been wrapped in as Joseph and Miles looked on from the other side of a glass window. As the plastic slowly peeled away from the bloodied skin, Joseph turned around. Despite a pane of glass separating him and the body, he was still uncomfortable. _'It will all be over soon.'_

Jewellery was carefully removed, and clothing slowly cut away as a clicking entered the hallway. Turning, Joseph saw it was Will, freshly showered, and sporting the shoes he'd bought her. Her hair was no longer in the up-do she'd created the night before, but instead in the messy bun she piled it into for ease. He smiled a little. It felt a little bit easier to breathe now.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late." She huffed, "Traffic was a nightmare coming back. Early morning rush." She sent a smile to Caroline through the window. "You find Rob Lees?" They looked too grim, "I'll take that as a no." And with that she turned to the window.

"I didn't expect this." The pathologist's words caught both the men off guard and they returned their attention to the window. She looked up at them, "Welcome to hell, my darlings."

What they saw was horrendous. Cathy's lower abdomen looked like a massacre and Jo had to turn away to push down the urge to vomit. Miles glanced back and Will placed a hand on his elbow, if only to calm him slightly. He turned back, but kept his hand to his mouth, occasionally closing his eyes to block what he saw. The redhead's eyes were full of concern.

With all their attention on her, Caroline began her explanation. "I think the killer knelt by her head, held her with his left hand." She positioned her body as such. "Then cut her throat, left to right with his right hand." She made a quick slicing motion across the neck. "The blood would have run away from him.

"There are no cuts to her clothing, so I assume her skirt was pushed up?" She sent an expectant look at the three opposite her.

Will answered, "The community support who found her pulled her skirt down, but she thought she'd been raped." Her tone was sombre.

"Oh well we'll take swabs, obviously," She agreed, "but I haven't seen any physical signs of rape.

"And here's the surprise," A gruesome surprise by the sound of it. "It's as if he's tried to gut her." Caroline took a deep breath. "On the left hand side, two inches in, we have a deep jagged wound." Jo covers his mouth again and averts his gaze. A small hand lightly touches his back. Will.

' _Thank God she's here.'_

"On the right hand side there are four more cuts," The woman's eyes were focused on the body, "The stomach has been cut in several places and the intestines have been exposed." Joseph became pale.

"I think," She continued, "he stayed at his position by her head, stabbed downwards," once again she demonstrated, "then drew the knife up towards himself quite violently. These cuts were done quickly. In fact, I'd say this whole attack would have been over in no more than a few minutes. She wouldn't have known what hit her."

Both Miles and Will listened with stony faces. This was what they dealt with on a regular basis. This is the kind of thing the woman he loved saw often. In that moment, Joseph thought she was far stronger than he was.

"Rob Lees is what hit her." Miles looked fierce. Cathy was beloved by the people that had helped her in the past. Though they knew that one day she'd end up dead, it didn't change how they all felt.

Joseph felt he could finally speak, "What can you tell us about the weapon?" He was thankful that his voice didn't stutter.

"It has a strong blade."

"Long?" Asked Miles. "Like something used for butchering meat?"

"The thing is," Caroline looked almost contrite, "skin stretches and soft tissues compress, so it's hard to talk about knife size. I can only speculate very generally."

"So speculate for me"

Caroline's mouth formed an 'O' shape as she thought on that. Her head ducked a little, "Something like a hunting knife."

"Or a boning knife?"

"I can't rule it out." She relented.

There was a nod. "Thanks, sweetheart." Once more, Miles was off.

* * *

As he walked on, Joseph was able to grab Will's arm, just for a quick talk. "You _really_ weren't joking about them were you?" He gave her an incredulous look. "How do you put up with it?"

She huffed a laugh in response and looked up at him, "Patience and hard work. You're gonna need it since we can't find our only suspect." Her eyes softened. "You okay? Looked like you were gonna throw up in there." Reaching for his hand, she gave it a gentle squeeze.

Joseph took a deep breath. "Uh, yes. Probably would have if you weren't there." He sent a half grin her way, one she returned. "You're wearing the shoes I bought you." He remarked softly. "You never wear those to work."

"Well it's a special occasion, isn't it?" Will's thumb softy rubbed along the side of his hand. "Speaking of, make sure you go home and change your clothes. You'll go mad if you stay in that suit."

Jo was grateful for the concern but his smile slowly fell, "Elephant in the room. They clearly don't know about us, so we need to talk about what to do." It was obvious who 'They' were. Her team. She'd already thought about that.

The smile on Will's lips turned almost cheeky, "Well, we don't have to tell them, but that doesn't mean we should hide it." Jo's eyes squinted slightly in confusion. "How about a bet? We'll figure out the stakes later but, let's see who twigs first. We can make our picks after you properly meet the whole team."

"Are you serious?" He sounded incredulous, but was he truly surprised? She was always saying things like this at home, creating scenarios for them to 'compete' in. A quirk he found he enjoyed.

"You know I am. They're detectives. Let them detect." With a quick glance around, she lent up and pecked his lips, before turning to leave. The mischievous smile she sent over her shoulder had him trailing behind her.

* * *

Miles was waiting for them through the doors, his phone in hand. He eyed them both as they walked towards him.

"What are you two up to? I almost expect it from him, but you know better than to piss about Will."

The woman in question sent him an indignant look, "I was making sure our new DI was okay. Not everyone is used to that kind of stuff." She raised her eyebrows, "If that's a crime now, I'm sure one of the cells is free." Will thrust her hands forward as a silent 'Cuff me', but the glint in her eyes revealed she was joking.

She knew of course that the men on her team, not so much Kent but the others, would be standoffish with their new Plastic DI. That didn't mean she had to suddenly turn cold towards him as well. Even if they weren't a couple, she'd treat him the same. He may be fast tracked, but he was still a fucking human being, for Christ's sake.

The older man's lip quirked upwards before turning to Joseph and held up his phone, "They found him."

The three of them began to rush up the stairs towards the interrogation room. Will, for a brief moment, regretted her footwear choice; she'd get up the stairs much quicker in her boots. Miles led the way and relayed what he'd been told.

"And there he is," He explained, "half the division out looking for him, and Rob Lees turns up on his own doorstep looking like ten kinds of shit." They reached their destination. "Been up all night, smells like a pub. Tell ya mum, we'll have you home in time for tea."

Joseph ignored the quip, "Excellent." He sounded, still following Miles.

The Sarge stopped and once again asked a question that Will was also thinking, "What are you doing?"

The taller man's face gave nothing away, "I'm going to interview the suspect." Did he not know that, that's what the rest of them were for? DI's usually left all the leg work to their underlings.

Once again, Will thoughts were voiced by the Sarge. _'I should get him a present for this or something'_

"Why?" Was asked sharply. "DI's are supposed to sit behind their desk and drink herbal tea." It was a snide comment, and Will winced a little bit, but Jo was undeterred.

"I'll treat it as an office outing." The response was dismissive, and he walked onward to the interrogation room. Will faltered slightly; she wasn't used to seeing this side to Jo. She knew he was capable of leading a team, but she'd never actually seen it.

' _How am I meant to win this bet,'_ she mused to herself, _'when I just want to throw myself at him?'_

Shaking the thought from her head, she made her way after them.

The Sergeant was still trying to dissuade Joseph from performing the interview. "Look I know this guy. He's a liar, a manipulator, and, what's worse is, he knows his rights." He hurried to keep up with the taller man, "So sit in if you have to, that's your prerogative," he came a stop in from of Jo, "But I'm asking you to let me do what I'm good at."

Will, having caught up, listened patiently. She'd be going into the observation room anyway, but she could help diffuse a potential argument if need be.

"Okay, sir?" Miles almost sneered.

Joseph's face remained resolute, "Fine. But I want this result as much as you do, so we do this together. We get it right, and we get it over with."

Miles didn't respond. He simply nodded at Will and entered the room. Joseph turned to Will in near exasperation.

"I'll be watching next door. So don't worry." She smiled and entered the door nearby.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Okay boys," McCormack said as the redhead entered the room, "phones off." Fitz followed after her, immediately taking the chair Kent was about to sit down in.

"Hey, that's my seat!" He sounded rightfully annoyed.

"And that's my seat in there." Fitz mumbled around a mouth full of chocolate. "But we're all making sacrifices today." A hand clipped him round the ear and he swirled round to offending party. A delicate finger pointed at his face.

"Behave." Was all that was said. Fitz merely scoffed and turned back to the window. Will rolled her eyes and crossed her arms before doing the same.

* * *

A cassette was inserted into the recorded on the table and Miles began the interview.

"This interview is being conducted at Whitechapel police station. The time is 10:15am. The date is the 31st of August, 2008. I am Detective Sergeant Ray Miles. The other police officer present is…"

"Detective Inspector Joseph Chandler." He idly rubbed his hands together.

"The solicitor present is…"

The woman filled in, "Lydia Hart."

Miles turned his full direction to the third man present, "Please state your full name and date of birth." His face remained stern.

A rough voice spoke, "Robert Lees. 11th March, 1972."

* * *

 _"You do not have to say anything that might…."_ Came through the speakers whilst a crisp packet rustled in the observation room.

Fitz turned back, "Sanders, shh." The offending packet was thrust forward in an offering. "No."

"Pay attention!" Hissed Will. She honestly didn't know how she dealt with them all sometimes.

* * *

"…Do you understand the caution?" Finished Miles.

Lees' face was blank. His head was tilted in a flippant manner. He was used to this. "Yeah, I understand."

"Where were you this morning at 2am?"

Lees' glanced at his solicitor. She gave a minute nod. "Drunk tank. Charing Cross." A grin slowly spread across his face. "I've got a ten copper alibi." He chuckled, smugly.

Joseph and Miles looked at each other. This was supposed to be a simple domestic. Quick and easy and then Jo could move on. The dismay he was feeling was something he could clearly see on Miles' face as well.

* * *

In the observation room, Will took a deep breath before running from the room. That wasn't the outcome they expected. She nearly ran downstairs in order to contact their counterparts at Charing Cross. She could only wish that his alibi didn't last all night.

"Hi, this is Detective Constable Wilhelmina Carter of the Whitechapel Station. I need to confirm with you about who was in your drunk tank last night. Specifically around 2am, if that's possible." She held the handset between her shoulder and ear so she could grab a pen and pad. "Okay," She began to scribble names down, "You're sure of that last one? Well, thank you."

Miles joined walked into the incident room as she was hanging up the phone. "It checks out. They were looking in on him every half an hour for the whole night." She let out a deep sigh. There went their only lead. They didn't even have any DNA from the crime scene.

 _'What the fuck do we do now?'_ She dragged her hands down her face and then went about organising her desk. She may work with a few 'slobs' but that doesn't mean she had to become one. Living with Jo had impacted on her greatly. When she'd first gained their respect as an officer, she got them to clean up a bit, but they quickly fell back into old habits. Hopefully, Joseph wouldn't have an aneurysm when he walked in there.

The others were sat at their respective desks. Well, Fitz was sat _on_ his desk. "Where's your new DI, Skip?" Flicking her eyes in his direction, Will could sense a ribbing on its way.

"Probably, with the commander, begging for a new transfer." There were a few chuckles. "Arts and Antiques Squad." Miles snorted.

Will shook her head and scoffed. They really were so dense sometimes. The sound caught Kent's attention, a brief look of confusion crossing his face.

He'd been on the team only a little bit longer than Will had, and that meant he was nothing like the older men they worked with. He'd noticed the way his colleague reacted to the derision directed at the new DI. The reason for it wasn't clear yet, but he felt it was more than just the 'I'm more sensitive to how other's feel' shtick that Will often spouted. He'd have to keep an eye.

"We haven't got the chance to know him." Kent voiced. It was almost exactly what Wil had said at the crime scene, not that he'd heard that, but she was glad someone else was on her side in this. She sent him a smile.

Sander's aimed a rubber band at the younger man, "Well we won't miss hello, will we?" The band pinged across the desks, narrowly missing McCormack and Kent, but only because the latter dodged out of the way.

"Gotta be a record that," remarked Fitz as he held out a form to McCormack, "shortest serving DI." He shared a smile around the room. A muscle in Will's jaw twitched and she jumped up to leave the room, Kent noted that with interest.

* * *

Still in his suit from the previous night, Jo placed his razor and tiger balm on the sink in the men's restrooms. Rubbing some balm on his temples, he murmured to himself, "Rob Lees is no longer a suspect."

He ran the razor over his chin. Will always said she enjoyed when he let his stubble grow – _'It's dead sexy, you know'_ – But right now, he had to be professional, it was blatantly apparent that this team wasn't going to make his job easy. In any way.

"Everybody. Listen, everybody." He was developing a headache from thinking on this. "Rob Lees is no longer a suspect.

"Now that we….Now that we no longer have Rob Lees as a suspect…" He needed to wash his hands. Clean. Calm. Easy.

"Now that Rob Lees is no longer part of this…" He was back to rubbing his temples. "Is no longer a s….Yeah." He leant over to dispose of a tissue and noticed a face drawn into the mirror.

 _'For goodness sake.'_ He closed his eyes and sighed. _'Into the lion's den, then.'_

* * *

"Where's Will gone?" Asked Miles.

Various shrugs met his question and Kent piped up, "I think she went to the bathroom, Sarge."

"That's fine we can start without her." He waved a hand and perched himself on a desk. "We've got to start over. We've got a description of the suspect so let's find him on CCTV. He's wearing a hat with flaps so he should stick out like a sore thumb.

"Sanders, you're good at watching telly." The man in question nodded in agreement.

"I am."

"You take first shift on that. Fitz, draw up a rota." Another nod in Miles' direction.

Joseph chose that moment to enter the incident room. "Right, Rob Lees has been eliminated from this enquiry. We start afresh." He locked eyes with them one by one. "Consider this a new investigation."

He made his way to the chalkboard. The men around him gave each other incredulous looks. Miles moved from his perch and watched as Joseph arranged his coat on the chair nearby. Fitz and Sanders laughed, whilst Miles, oddly, remained quiet. Jo ignored them in favour of looking for something to write with.

"I need some chalk." He sent an expectant look at them. As they looked around at each other, he noticed the absence of red hair. Where was she? Before he could ask, a voice interrupted him.

"I might have some." Ah, Sanders. This should be interesting. The man delved into his pocket and pulled out….A chocolate bar. Jo would have an aneurysm before the day was out. He was sure of it.

"I can wait." He wasn't going to let them bully him. He was their superior whether they liked it or not. And there was always someone that wouldn't risk their job for juvenile behaviour. "As long as it takes."

The youngest man, a mop of black curly hair a top his head, slammed pen down and left his seat. There it was. There was always one.

"Teacher's pet."

"Arse licker."

The others chuckled as a box of chalk was brought to Joseph, "Thank you…um." Pausing for name.

"Kent."

"Kent." Jo repeated and turned back to board. He turned back around for a second to ask the question that had been plaguing him. "Um," He cleared his throat, "Where is Wi…Carter? Where is Carter?"

Kent's eyes narrowed slightly at the slip as the others once again shrugged. He gave the same answer as before, "Bathroom, sir."

Joseph nodded, he could handle that. As long as she hadn't left him to fend off the wolves by himself.

"Thank you, Kent."

* * *

In the ladies, Will lightly splashed her face with water. Thank God her makeup was waterproof. She stared at herself in the mirror.

It was her idea to not announce her relationship with Joseph. Her idea to let the team figure it out themselves. She just wasn't sure how long she could hang onto that idea, not with the way they were talking about him. She'd always been someone who defends those she loved to the very end, and if things carried on the way they were, she'd probably end up lashing out at someone.

"Pull yourself together, Wilhelmina." She told herself. "You've got this. Just until the end of this case and it won't matter anymore." Steeling herself, she marched out of the toilets and back to the incident room.

* * *

"Right, our suspect is in his 40s." Joseph pulled the board down to a clear panel, "Average height and build. Dark complexion and wearing a hat with ear flaps." He turned as the door to incident room opened. Will smiled at him as she entered. _'Thank God.'_

He continued, "It's a distinctive look, so let's start with CCTV opportunities and find this guy." He turned back to the board.

A gruff voice filled the room, "Great idea. We'll start tomorrow."

"No we start now." Joseph glanced at Miles. The shorter man took a quick peek at his watch.

"End of shift." He pinned Joseph with a look. "Unless, you're authorising double time."

Expectant looks were sent his way. Will looked down. Miles' chuckle broke the silence.

The men filed out one by one, Fitz sending a look that said 'What can you do?' at the DI and called to Kent as he walked past. Will was the only one that remained, a sad smile on her lips.

* * *

Now in his office, Will watched as Joseph arranged his desk. His watch, notebook, pen and phone all perfectly placed. He leant down and reached for a large file that was placed in one of the draw. Peered over to read the title on the front.

"Murder investigation manual?" She muttered. "You don't need that."

He sent her a resigned look, "Clearly, I do." And began to leaf through it.

Slowly, she reached over and shut the folder. "No, you don't." She pinned him with a look, "What you need, is some food, a shower and a clean suit. You must be slowly going mad in that." She gestured to the suit he'd been wearing for the past 24 hours.

He reached for his tiger balm, "They don't make this easy, Will." She knew who he meant.

"You're better at this than they give you credit for. Than you give yourself credit for." She moved closer to him wrapped her arms around him from behind. "They may have more experience in the field but that doesn't make them better." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and his hand softly gripped her wrist in thanks.

Moving away, abruptly, she switched the topic. "You made a decision yet?" At his quizzical look, she explained. "About who figures us out first? I've already got dibs on Emerson Kent. And if I win, we're going to that Hotpot place in China Town. I've been dying to take you there for ages." She ran her hand across his cheek.

Joseph smiled. These little touches were something he'd sorely missed all day. Being so close, but unable to reach for her a kind of agony he'd never felt before. His larger hand grabbed hers. "No, but out of all of them I'd probably pick your Sergeant. Other than Kent, he seems the most likely to notice something."

"And your stakes?" Will had perched herself against the desk now, careful not to knock the items out of place. "What do you want if you win?"

He ducked his gaze and played with her fingers, "You'll have to wait and see." There it was. The boyish grin that had been absent all day. She loved that grin.

"I'll find out eventually." She looked him from under her lashes. "If you're set on staying late, be my guest. But don't stay all night." She stood and leant down to kiss him. Something he'd never get enough of. "The bed feels too cold if it's just me." And with wink over her shoulder, she left.

Joseph's lips quirked upwards, before he flipped open the folder again, and began reading. He needed to read up on the process, but he'd make it home. After all, he couldn't leave Will alone in a cold bed.

It was 3 hours later when Joseph crept into their apartment and silently changed into his pyjama pants. His partner was right, as she usually was, about the suit. Once he was out of it, his whole body felt lighter. Looking over to the bed, he could see a halo of red spread out across a pillow. She'd foregone her usual bun to bed, probably due to lack of sleep.

He carefully slid under the duvet and wrapped an arm around Will, causing her to shift and blearily smile at him. One soft kiss later, and they both settled into sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, across town, a short portly man, dressed in a long coat and hat, umbrella and bag in hand, walked down the street where Cathy's body was discovered the previous morning. He stopped to read the sign that had been placed at the gates.

The sign had the words, "We are appealing for witnesses" and "Murder" written in large lettering, along with a number to call. The man's face turned to the building through the gates, and his eyes widened minutely.

"Oh, dear God." He whispered into the night.


End file.
